This is a guest post written by Natasha Neal. I am so honored to have her share her heart with us today…
“But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” (Luke 6:27-28, KJV)
One thing I’ve struggled with in my life, is forgiveness. And actually letting go and showing love to those who hurt me.
I’ve had so much pain in my life. Both physical and emotional. I’m sure we’ve all had this type of experience.
This pain developed in me, which caused hatred towards those who hurt me and hatred towards myself.
All this pain developed during my teenage years and I felt trapped…. with no say so over my life. I was just helpless, with low self-esteem. I felt really low.
I thought, “How did I allow this to happen to me? How could I ever allow someone to hurt me this much?”
There were times where I didn’t want to be here anymore. I had in my mind, that there was no point of living… because of the way I felt.
I am forever grateful that God ignored my selfish and ignorant rant. I realize today, that God loved me when I didn’t even love myself.
As years passed by, I forgave those who hurt me… well, at least I thought I did.
Luke 6:27-28 says, “But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”
I thought I had forgiven the person who brought so much hurt and pain in my life, but I didn’t. God kept calling me and I kept running. But one day, He got my complete attention.
God recently placed two special people in my life. He used them to deliver a message to me.
One friend told me, “God said I was being rebellious.”
“Wow!” I thought!
That hit me really hard! It hurt so much to hear that I was being rebellious.
I don’t want to ever disappoint God. I knew exactly what God meant. He knew that I had an unforgiving heart.
My new friend prayed with me… he asked God to restore the joy back in my heart. As he prayed, I felt the presence of God so strong that I could not hold back my tears.
The tears began to flow uncontrollably.
I tried to hold them back, but I couldn’t. My body and hands were shaking.
I felt God so near. So close to me.
Something was going on in my heart. There are no words to describe it.
I felt full. So full.
I was about to burst. Because the pressure was brewing. I felt like a pressure cooker ready to explode.
God told me exactly what I needed to do. I was finally ready to make the first step towards being free.
God had just been waiting for me to obey.
As soon I obeyed, the pressure released.
I felt lighter, happier… different.
My second friend told me, “She felt in her spirit that I should write.”
I thought to myself, “Me? A writer??”
I had only wrote stuff in my journal for myself. I never thought about sharing my experiences to the world. But I knew that God wanted me to do this.
Ephesians 6:12 say, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
We’re in a spiritual warfare. Satan likes to play with our mind.
He had played with my mind… for too long!
He knows our weaknesses and he tries to use it against us. Over and over again.
It’s important to never give in, nor give up.
We are to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11)
Forgive those who hurt you.
Release it to God….
Release them….
So you will be free….
And….
Pray for them. Remember God loves them just as much as He loves you.
Ask Jesus to restore the joy in your heart. He will do it for you, just as He did it for me.
Continue to pray. Have faith. Read God’s word and develop a relationship with Jesus.
Stay strong, in Jesus name!
